BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A 41-year-old man claiming to have explosives held 10 people hostage inside a Chase Bank in Bakersfield for 15 tense hours this week before FBI agents shot and killed him, authorities said.
Anthony Scott Searles-Harris told law enforcement he had explosives on him and even strapped some to hostages, Bakersfield Police Assistant Chief Jeremy Blakemore said at a Wednesday press conference.
"Numerous other employees and patrons had fled the building during the suspect's takeover, and we immediately began evacuating the surrounding area," Blakemore said.
Ten people were taken hostage on the second floor of the Chase building. Five of them were tied up by Searles-Harris.
More than 150 FBI personnel, Homeland Security, SWAT, and several other agencies responded to assist.
Over several hours, crisis negotiators secured the safe release of 2 hostages.
"The FBI's hostage rescue team was deployed all the way from Quantico on the East Coast from its base of operations. They're our version of special forces for the FBI. They're the best of the best, and they come out for situations like this," Blakemore said.
At around 4:30 a.m., FBI agents shot and killed Searles-Harris. All remaining hostages were safely removed from the building.
"This has been a horrific event…Bakersfield PD did an amazing job with this. Their negotiators, their SWAT teams, we were impressed. Fantastic work," Blakemore said.
Authorities said Searles-Harris served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2007 but was dishonorably discharged for going AWOL.
Kern County court records show Searles-Harris was convicted of 2 child sex crimes stemming from a 2013 complaint. After his release from prison, he was required to register as a sex offender. Searles-Harris maintained his innocence.
The investigation is ongoing.
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